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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. race — the arms race
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. court — of a king
  6. race — humankind
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. court — of law
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. saw — the tool
  15. saw — the tool
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. race — a contest
  21. wound — an injury
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. court — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com